Jeremiah 26

Revised Geneva Translation

26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this Word from the LORD, saying,

² “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’s House. And speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s House, all the words that I Command you to speak to them. Do not hold back a Word.

³ ‘Perhaps they will listen, and everyone will turn from his evil way, so that I may relent from the plague which I have determined to bring upon them because of the wickedness of their works.

⁴ ‘And you shall say to them, “Thus says the LORD: ‘If you will not hear Me, to walk in My Law which I have set before you,

⁵ ‘and to hear the words of My servants, the Prophets, whom I sent you (both rising up early and sending), and will not obey,

⁶ ‘Then I will make this House like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all nations of the Earth.’”’”

⁷ So the priests and the Prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the House of the LORD.

⁸ Now when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had Commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the Prophets and all the people took him, and said, “You shall die the death!

⁹ “Why have you prophesied in the Name of the LORD, saying, ‘This House shall be like Shiloh, and ‘This city shall be desolate without an inhabitant?’” And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the House of the LORD.

¹⁰ And when the Princes of Judah heard of these things, they came up from the king’s house into the House of the LORD and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the LORD’s House.

¹¹ Then spoke the priests and the Prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “The LORD has sent me to prophesy all the things that you have heard against this House and against this city.

¹³ “Therefore, now, amend your ways and your works and hear the Voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD may relent from the plague that He has pronounced against you.

¹⁴ “As for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as you think good and right.

¹⁵ “But know for certain that if you put me to death, you shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon its inhabitants. For truly the LORD has sent me to you, to speak all these words in your ears.”

¹⁶ Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the Prophets, “This man is not worthy to die! For he has spoken to us in the Name of the LORD our God!”

¹⁷ Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,

¹⁸ “Micah the Morashite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall be a heap, and the mountain of the House shall be as the high places of the forest.’

¹⁹ “Did Hezekiah, king of Judah, and all Judah, put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and pray before the LORD? And did not the LORD relent from the plague that he had pronounced against them? But we procure great evil against our souls.”

²⁰ And there was also a man who prophesied in the Name of the LORD: Urijah, the son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath Jearim; who prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah.

²¹ Now when Jehoiakim the king, with all his men of power and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to kill him. But when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went into Egypt.

²² Then Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt — Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain with him — into Egypt.

²³ And they fetched Urijah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the children of the people.

²⁴ But the hand of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, was with Jeremiah, so that they would not give him into the hand of the people, to put him to death.